1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to an apparatus and method for a indicator light system used in connection with a conveyor apparatus for expeditiously finding the location of an emergency situation of the conveyor.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Conveyors are frequently used to carry ore from a location of a miner to a location outside of the mine. A typical mine can have between 10 to 20 miles of conveyor belts. Each of the conveyor belts is typically up to a mile in length. Usually, each conveyor belt is positioned in a single tunnel of the mine. Separate roadway tunnels are located parallel to the tunnels housing the conveyor belts. The roadway tunnels are used for travel by mine personnel either by walking or driving. Additional tunnels can be positioned perpendicular to the conveyor belt tunnels and the roadway tunnels for connecting the conveyor belt tunnels with the roadway tunnels.
In conventional conveyors, emergency switches are provided along the length of the conveyor. This switch stops the rotation of the conveyor belt in emergency situations. Emergency situations can include the ore bouncing off the belt, misalignment of the belt or deterioration of the belt. In an emergency situation, the emergency switch is tripped to stop the rotation of the belt around the conveyor rollers. A belt controller supplies diagnostic information to a diagnostic panel indicating that an emergency situation has occurred. However, the belt controller does not indicate which of the emergency switches has been tripped.
Once an emergency switch has been tripped, it is necessary to manually reset the tripped switch before rotation of the conveyor belt can be resumed. Typically, mining personnel manually determine when an emergency switch has been tripped by observing t he handle of the switch. When a switch is tripped, the handle of the switch moves 90 degrees from its original position. This method has the disadvantage that the position of the handle is difficult to see from a distance. Thus, the handle cannot be easily seen from the roadway tunnel. Further, there is no set standard for installing the emergency switches. Therefore, it is difficult to determine which position of the switch was the original position and which position of the switch indicates a fault.
In order to locate the tripped switch, mining personnel must walk the length of the conveyor belt to observe each switch in order to find the tripped switch. In the alternative, mining personnel can locate the tripped switch by driving the length of the belt in a vehicle in the roadway tunnel, stopping at each tunnel leading to a switch, getting out of the vehicle, walking to the switch and determining whether or not the switch was tripped. This method of manual checking the switches has the disadvantage of being time consuming to mining personnel. For example, it typically takes at least 45 minutes to an hour and a half to manually locate a tripped switch.
Another method for determining if an emergency switch has been tripped is through a central computer monitoring system. In this method, a computer control device is attached to each switch for monitoring the switch. A power supply is attached to each computer control device for powering the computer control device. The computer control device is also attached to a central monitor for displaying when a switch has been tripped. A typical central computer monitoring system is manufactured by Conspec. However, this method does not save time in resetting the emergency switches since once the computer indicates a tripped switch, the tripped switch still has to be manually reset by mining personnel. Further, the computer control system includes a separate power supply for each switch. Also, the costs for obtaining a central computer monitoring system are high.
The present invention is very economical and makes it possible to expeditiously provide a better indication of emergency situations in conveyors than is believed possible with prior art conveyors.